Rosto the Piper: Part of the Brood
by Little Scissor
Summary: Terrier in Rosto's Point of View. He came to Corus because he was looking for a bit of amusement, but found it to be rather boring. Then he runs into a interesting Puppy that he can't help but follow as she tries to figure out crimes in the Lower City.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is Terrier in Rosto's POV. I'm not sure how this is really going to turn out. Whatever, it's worth a try. After awhile, I might come back to rewrite this, but this is a rough draft. Hopefully my next chapters will be better. I need to come back and "cite" some things.**

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Rosto the Piper: Part of the Brood

**_(Disclaimer: I do not of the characters, the major plot and some of the dialogue but most of the subplots belong to me) _**

**Wednesday April 1, 246**

First Day in Corus

Corus was a busy as everyone had told me it would be. It wasn't only busy with people, it was busy with crime. Everywhere I turned I saw someone pick another's pocket or take the money purse from the victim's belt. I felt as though I were home. There was something about this place that made me know that I was going to stay here for a long time.

I wanted to go out and find the Rogue of this city, but my stomach disagreed with my intentions. Instead, my companions, Aniki and Kora decided that a drink and food was needed. We went into the closest eating house named Mantel and Pullet. Everyone in there seemed to be a Dog which didn't bother me. If I didn't do anything wrong then there was no reason for the curs to bite.

The ladies looked for a seat while I went to order something to keep us warm for the rest of the night, though I had other things planned that would keep us warm. We had only been there for no more than a minute when three people walked in: two older dogs, male and female, and one younger mot. I didn't think anything of them. They weren't my business, though that young mot caught my eye quicker than Aniki or Kora ever did. There was sommat odd about her.

She glanced at sommat near me with her blue-grey eyes and sat at the table designated for the Dogs that dragged her around.

I turned back to the bar, not caring. It was obvious she was a Puppy; the white trim on the sleeves of her tunic said it all. A Puppy wasn't a problem of mine, it was the Dogs.

The young mot made her way up to the bar. She leaned against it, looking shy. The barkeeper had already drawn some ale for the young girl in leather jacks that said Goodwin and Tunstall; I assumed it was the two dogs that pulled her around. "What of you, pretty puppy?" the man asked the Puppy, his eyes were leering. "A nice strong ale to loosen your belt? Wine for your first day?"

The girl looked away with an expression that was a mixture of annoyed and uncertain. "Barley water, sir, if you please."

The barkeeper gaped at her for a moment before he said in a flat tone, "You're joking."

"No, Master Barkeep. Barley water, please." The girl was rather clear with what she wanted, I didn't understand what was wrong with her request. Couldn't the daft man see that she didn't want anything strong?

Apparently, he didn't, because he snapped, "You've something against my good brown ale? Strong enough to stick a spoon in! 'Tis good enough for any Dog or soldier as walks through that door, good enough that the King himself, gods save him, has drunk it, whilst _you_ turn up that dainty nose -"

I had enough of the man. I leaned in and knocked the plank bar, drawing his attention towards me. "Listen, keg tapper. Rather than waste the time yapping at a pretty girl who's not interested, why not occupy yourself pouring out for me and _my_ ladies, and let her be about her business."

The girl glanced at me. I could see that here eyes absorbed my appearance. She was probably surprised by my rather pale nature. It was in my blood after all, being Scanran. Her eyes lingered longer than most, looking at every scar that was visible to her. Her eyes connected with mine and I winked at her as I leaned in for the barman's attention.

The mot walked away getting stopped by the barmaid, who gave her a mug of water. I didn't know what they were saying, nor did I care. "She seemed interested," Aniki said in my ear when I brought them their drinks. There was a bit of amusement in her voice.

"I don't think that was interest," I told her as I glanced back at the girl. Her Dogs were glancing at me with a suspicious look. There was no doubt in my mind that they were curious about me. I did stick out fairly well. I mean, how many people look as though they lost every flick of color in Corus? Not many, I'll tell you that. Without listening, I knew that they were talking of me. I was just that interesting; people had to talk about me.

Kora leaned in, her eyes gleaming at me. Her cat-like features were twitching with excitement. "I think we should go find our Rogue soon," she said. She was right; I had a goal of my own to achieve, after all. We heard Corus was far more entertaining than Scanra. "But after we finish our drink. If that barkeep thinks his brew is as good as he thinks it then I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt." She lifted her mug to me and drank down her contents, Aniki and I followed suit.

After a while, I knew that the Dogs and their pretty Puppy weren't looking at me or my ladies any longer. The Dogs seemed to be hounding their Puppy for something. Whatever it was, I couldn't hear.

"Why must you keep looking at them?" Aniki asked, her eyes locking in with my own. "You are going to draw attention to us if you don't quit!"

"It looks like he wants another mot to warm his bed at night," Kora accused with a hint of amusement. "Rosto is sick of us already."

"He kept us longer than other mots," Aniki chided. "Though it's his loss."

"I never said that," I say, sipping my ale. "I was just a bit curious of 'em." There is no point in lying to Aniki or Kora; they know me all too well. "We should go look for the Rogue," I said. I knew it wasn't going to be hard to find him. The people in this part of town jabbered about him like bad gossip – made he was bad gossip. His name was Kayfer Deerborn, that was all I got while making our way to this eating house "Or you may stay and have another round while I go look for our new dear Rogue."

"You aren't going to have all of the fun," Aniki exclaimed. "Let's go." She drank the rest of her ale and slammed the mug against the table, making a few men look over with interest. Aniki was a beautiful mot. Her blonde hair wasn't as light as my own but it was light enough to know she was Scanran. She had a well-worked body with muscles that could make any woman envious. She always wore clothes made for men and a sword that she prized, though she didn't admit it very much.

Aniki and Kora were up before I was. They are always ready for excitement. I turned to look at the Dogs one last time, but they were too wrapped in their own conversation to care they the Rats were leaving.

We found our way to the Lower City, the trip there was as uneventful as the trip to Corus. The Rogue wasn't too hard to find either, all I did was ask where he was hiding and the people in the Lower City just pointed. Apparently, he didn't try to hide himself. He seemed well known around the Lower City parts.

I found myself in front of a stone building that looked the have belonged to someone with money. I raised an eyebrow up at it and looked around. Everyone in this hellhole was poor, wearing nothing but rages and eating scrap (if they were lucky); what was a building such as the one in front of me doing in a place like the Cesspool (so I heard it was called)?

"Are you ready to meet our Rogue?" I asked my mots. They turned their heads up to me with glittering smiles. Through their smiles, I could see that they were just as curious as to how a Rogue could set up his court in a fancy place such as that building. It made him seem superior when he was supposed to be equal.

We entered the place, getting looked at by a couple of shifty looking men. I could see that they each had a large knife at their side, if not a sword. None were subtle about their weapons. It made them obvious tricksters.

We found our way to an open room where several tables were set. I decided that it would be best to introduce ourselves after we watched the man. He wasn't hard to miss. His sat his rolling self on a makeshift throne, peering down at the people below him. There was definite superiority in his blue eyes. He wore a large black pearl drop in one of his ears. It looked as though the pearl drop were going to rip his ear right off while the other ear was content with a simple silver hoop. Upon his large fingers sat a sapphire ring the size of a bird egg. In short, he was a rather gaudy man with little personality.

Beside the Rogue was a mot, brown-skinned, and a Carthaki wearing breeches and a shirt. Her hard eyes were lined with tattoos and her ear was studded with rubies. Behind her, there were two coves, both Carthaki by the look of it. One, wearing a slave collar, held the leashes of two mastiffs. His muscles were large and made the mastiffs look like little puppies.

The mot noticed our presence. She didn't say anything to the Rogue, just eyed use with suspicion. I smiled at her in my most friendly manor. She returned a smile, but it didn't match mine. It was a tight smile with very little emotion. I didn't let her get to me. Though she had a high rank in the Rogue's Court, did not mean I had to find her very bone rattling.

"Do you think she finds us threatening?" Aniki smirked. There was a drip of sarcasm in her voice. She leaned against the table on her elbow, looking at the Carthaki mot.

Kora looked at the Carthaki with great interest. Her eyebrows arched slightly and she turned her head to the side. I knew for a fact that Kora was judging her. She was absorbing all of the mot's features, like she did with everyone else she met. "She's wary."

"As she should be," I mumbled. We sat there for a while longer, finding the Rogue to be as dull as he appeared. I found myself bored and announced our leave. "We need to find a place to stay for the night anyway." I had some money on me. I cut it from a man's purse on our way over.

"Separate rooms, please," Kora said sighing tiredly. "It was a long trip here." Aniki sighed along with her and nodded. My night's plans were ruined. Though I knew there were many nights ahead. We found our way to a small inn in the Lower City, hoping to find more excitement tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is rather long. I didn't realize how long it was until I uploaded it. I don't have spell check anymore so forgive my spelling errors!**

**Happy Holidays everyone.

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**_(Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, the major plot, and some of the dialogue but most of the subplots belong to me) _**

Thursday, April 2, 246 

When I woke this morning, Kora and Aniki were still asleep. Apparently the venture to Corus scored a bigger number on them that I had thought. I decided that I should do a bit of walking, getting to know my way around the City before I tried to get in any work. I need escape routes from the Dogs, especially the Evening Watch here in Corus. They looked plenty vicious compared to the Guards in Scanra. Their morals were probably better than the Dogs in Scanra as well. No matter, I just needed to keep a distance from them at all times.

I walked out of the inn and into a busy street. I was almost pushed to the ground by some lad that smelled strongly of fish, but I dodged him carefully. There was something in his eyes that looked tricky, or maybe it was just bad lighting. Whatever the case, I kept his face in mind, just in case.

I made my way through the Lower City. There was a lot going on despite the early hour. Though crime was still low, I still saw several lads picking pockets and grabbing purses. It was impressive, and the Dogs of this watch didn't even try to stop them. I took in the faces of the Dogs and remembered which ones let things slide. I decided that watching the Dogs of each watch would be my best chance at having a good start. If I wanted to have a nice place in the Rogue's Court then everything thing had to play by my hand. I was going to be the one calling the shots.

Mothers were sitting at their doorsteps gossiping. Some where feeding their children or watching their children as they played close by while other sewed clothing to make them look presentable even in the poorest part of the City. Children ran by on the muddy streets, spraying mud droplets everywhere. I avoided them as much as possible. I didn't want to get too dirty from little children. Pigs were wandering around, digging trash while stray dogs and cats cursed them for stepping in their territory.

There aren't many carts down the narrow streets, due to the fact that they won't fit. They wound around buildings sharply, just that in itself was difficult to walk. I noticed how many people preferred to walk. There were few who seemed to think that riding a horse or a mule worked well, but they had to take it slow from the normal pace of the human foot. I shook my head at them; they should have known that riding wasn't going to get them somewhere fast.

I came across some vendors selling some delicious looking food. Though I had to pick wisely, because I didn't want to eat sommat that was going to make me sick. It has happened before back in Scanra. An older woman caught my eye in particular. Everyone seemed to buy something from her stall and she would thank them heartily. I decided that I would try her food; they looked fresh and inviting.

"Good mornin'," she said as she set a tray of hot rolls down before me. She pried them off of the tray and set them to cool a little next to the older rolls that were already cooled. When she finished, she started to put the cooler rolls in a sack. "Take these," she told me handing me the sac. "They may not be much but you look too thin." I blinked at the woman and took the rolls with a thank you. "Is there anything else you would like?"

"What would you recommend?" I asked. "You see, I am new here and I'm not accustomed to your food." She smiled at me and handed me a fritter. I paid her the proper amount with a tip included.

"I'm Deirdry Noll," the woman introduced. "May I ask who you are?" I had a feeling that I would be seeing more of her.

"Rosto," I told her with a nod. "Thank you for your generosity." I lifted the bag of free rolls and smiled at her.

"Come again another time, Rosto," she said, her eyes twinkling. I assured her that I would. The fritter in my hand begged me to eat it. The smell alone teased me slightly. I turned away and made my way back to the busy streets, slowly eating the fritter. The fritter was delicious. I knew it wasn't my hungry stomach believing that it was delicious; it was the pastry itself. I was going to have to tell Aniki and Kora to visit Mistress Noll whenever they wake. Of course, they were going to be upset that I didn't get them food but it's not my job to mother them about.

I continued to walk about the Lower City eating the rolls one by one. They was amazing when they were cold, I wondered what they tasted like warm. I couldn't even imagine.

"Filthy whore!" I heard a man bellow down an empty alleyway. I took a peek, not liking what I was hearing. Before my eyes could focus in the dimly lit space where the two people were hiding, I heard a painful smack against flesh and a cry of pain. My eyes narrowed at the sound. I quietly made my way to their hiding.

The woman was against the wall, her face bloodied and swollen from the man's beatings. Tears streamed down her face as her wide eye looked on the man with terror. The man had his hand balled into a fist, arm raised, about the strike her again. I grabbed his wrist and pulled it back.

"Excuse me, sir," I said with a sting in my words. "I don't believe that hitting your gixie is appropriate."

"Stay outta it," he slurred at me. I nearly choked by how strong the alcohol was on his breath. It was the morning, why would he be drinking now...unless he was still drunk from the night before. Whatever it may be, I didn't like it. He swung his free hand at me, but I dipped out of the way, still holding onto his wrist. The tosspot snarled at me, drooling from the corners of his mouth like a diseased dog.

"I said that you shouldn't hit your gixie," I said, bending his wrist, and then thrusting it upward with my free palm until it snapped. "Now run along and leave the poor woman alone before I break more than your wrist." The man scampered away, no doubt going to lick his wounds.

I looked down at the woman; she was sobbing and whimpering, pressing herself against the wall as though she were afraid I was going to hurt her. I felt a little offended. Never in my life have I raised a hand to a mot, Aniki and Kora would have hung me by my toes; though she didn't know that. I took a step back, giving her space.

"Are you okay?" I asked bending down slightly, trying to see if there were any serious injuries. She moved a little, looking up at me with her bleeding eye. I thought that she was going to finally talk to me and let me help her but instead she lashed out her leg, her foot connecting to a rather sensitive area. I fell to the ground, balled up waiting for the pain to leave me as she ran away. So much for trying to help, I thought.

When I was able to get my sorry self out of the dirt, I thought it would be a good time to see if the girls were awake. I dusted myself clean of dirt before returned to the crowded streets. It was getting livelier by the hour but I was concentrating on getting back to the inn without anymore problems. A little gixie ran up to me, noticing that I was still in a bit of pain.

"Wha's wrong with ya?" she asked me, scrunching her face in a curious way. I looked around, wondering where her parents were.

"Well," I said, trying to think of some way to make her go away. "I just fell down," I lied. "I'm not havin' a good start this morning." The girl laughed at me, saying something about me being a bugnob because I tripped over my own feet. She went away grasping her belly as though my idiocy was the funniest thing in Corus. Is it wrong of me for wanting to spit in her little face? Probably.

The pain was fully gone when I made it back to the inn. I was rather impressed at how hard the mot kicked me. If the pain lasted that long it must have been hard enough. I went to my room only to find Kora and Aniki sitting on the floor, eating breakfast. They looked up at me when I walked in the door, surprised. What did that need to be surprised about? It was my room after all and they gawked at me as though I were breaking into their rooms.

"What are ya' two doing?" I asked.

Kora raised her eyebrows at me. "Uh, having our morning meal. What does it look like we're doing?"

"Sitting in my room without invitation!" I said. My mood was flaring. It was definitely not a good start. "Mayhap I wanted to rest."

Aniki stepped in, glaring at me. "Well then we would leave. Did our Rosto have a bad morning?" I sneered at her. Sure, she may help me keep my bed warm some nights but it didn't mean I had to be nice to her all of the time. "Calm yourself, laddybuck! Maybe you didn't rest yourself fully. You can be a rather big -"

"It's not that," I said, cutting her off. I sighed and slid to the floor. I looked at the food that they had before them. There was ham, bread, and twilsey before them. "Where did you get all of this?"

"I worked my magic," Aniki said, smiling at me though her blonde locks that drifted before her face. Part of me didn't want to know what she had done, but another part was curious. As always, the curious part won.

"How?" I asked, accepting a drink from Kora.

"You don't want to know," Kora whispered in my ear. Aniki gave her a false smile that Kora returned. "On a happier note, we have breakfast."

"I already ate," I said drinking the rest of the twilsey and setting the empty cup down on the floor. I stood and stretched. "I'm going to take a little rest here. You can stay but if you are silent." Aniki and Kora just stared at me as I sprawled out on my bed looking up at the ceiling as though it held interest. I sensed their eyes on me. They were worried. I wasn't acting myself. I sighed and sat up. "Let's go for a walk." There was no way I was going to be able to sleep with those two gazing at me.

They finished their food and cleaned up their mess. The innkeeper's wife winked at me as we walked toward the doors. I shook my head; I wasn't that kind of cove. Kora rolled her eyes at the woman, knowing her intentions. "The nerve," she mumbled. I patted Kora on the back and eased her forward, out of the gaze of the innkeeper's wife.

"She's not satisfied," Aniki said. "Last night, her and her man got into some argument about sommat. It was muffled through the floorboards, but I could tell they were angry shouts." I shrugged. I still didn't want to be part of that. I looked at Aniki and Kora. They were far better than the innkeeper's homely wife.

That talk of the wife was no more.

"Where are we going?" Kora asked looking around the narrow streets with innocent interest. It was moments like these when I realized how coves could mistake Kora for an innocent mot, or a trollop. In the end, they run away with their tail between their legs,

"Getting to know the area," I told her. We walked all around the Lower City, feeling no need to explore other districts. If we were going to be crooks we do it low class areas where we blend. I, for one, wasn't much in to dressing expensively. I kept it simple yet good enough. I needed to make impressions on others in a positive way before I started my trouble making.

We made our way to the Cesspool where it smelled strongly of urine in some places. The children there were dressed in rags, looking at me with hungry eyes. I knew that I shouldn't give them money because more would come after me with their hands held out before them begging for my stolen money. I did take slight pity on the little mumpers. When their parents had nothing, they felt the need to take responsibility in their own hands and try to find a way to feed themselves, if not the family.

But still, if they wanted money, or anything of the sort, they were going to have to learn how to snatch things without being noticed. They will learn the hard way.

The Cesspool was a treacherous place. It was just an area filled with crime and rot. The buildings were rundown beyond repair. People lay on the street looking sick, some even looked dead. There were some older women, walking around, trying to help them. I watched as a child was lifted from the street and brought into a house. The child's hand hung limply toward the ground, looking as though he were dead.

There were people arguing, yelling, throwing fists in the air; in other terms, making the air around a violent air. There were few Dogs about, I had a feeling that they were up in the better part of the Lower City. It would be hard to control crime in a place like the Cesspool. When there were poor, hungry people clumped together in a tight area, there was bound to be crime. Killing, thieving, raping, you call it, they do it. Down in the Cesspool, survival was their only standard in society.

"I thought this place was bad in the dark," Aniki said, looking around at the crumbling buildings. "But under the sun, it's even worse." She tightened her grip on her sword as a cove looked at her with lust-filled eyes. She threw him a sharp glare making him look away.

"Now," I said putting a hand on her tense shoulder. "Don't let them see that you are uncomfortable with them around. They will use it to their advantage." As I spoke she relaxed her grip on her sword and nodded. "We should probably get out of here," I told them. I think the last thing we need is to have our pockets slit...or worse."

"I agree," Kora whispered to me. We didn't turn around in our place. No - that would make it look as though we were fleeing from the place. Casually, we made our way around several buildings until we were going in the right direction. I looked at the mumpers as we were leaving. Their fair was far worse than anyone else in the city. If they needed money for their families, then why didn't they ask the Rogue for help? That's how it was in Scanra.

Then I remembered the scut sitting on his make-shift throne looking down at everyone as though he were a true king. His aging features were killing his affect on his own people - well, that could have been from his superior attitude. He was overweight, making it obvious that he hadn't done anything crook-like in years. There was a possibility that he had never really done any crime if you don't count over pricing items and trying to make ridiculous bribes to get out of trouble that _the people of his court_ did.

As though reading my thoughts, Kora asks, "When are we going to pay the Rogue another visit?"

"Before the sunsets," was my only reply. "But for now, we have some more exploring to do. We need to know this place just as well as any Dog, possibly better than any Dog." My companions nodded. We spent most of the afternoon exploring, looking at every eating house, tavern, and crime ridden areas as we could. We stopped at a few vendors, getting a good midday meal in before we set off to see the Rogue.

The Court was flooding with mots and coves, both Rogues and the common folk. Aniki, Kora, and I were checked by personal guards of the Rogue's and admitted to see the presence of his royal cuddy. Just looking at his gaudiness made me dislike the man even more. I watched him bribe others, cheat others, and eliminate others. Well, I couldn't give him the credit for any of that, as he wasn't the one who did them. It was the people of his court that did them, he just issued them.

It wasn't until later in the night, there people caught my attention. Two Dogs from the night before, a strongly built woman with short brown hair, and a rather tall man, who had the longest arms and legs I had ever seen. Not too far behind was their puppy. She was holding herself up strongly, her face was set. Her eyes casting an icy glare at the Rogue. There seemed to be a personal grudge there.

Kayfer seemed to have been expecting them. It wasn't too odd, I guess. He was the Rogue after all, Dogs were bound to come and go especially during the evening when the crooks were all ready to do some business.

"We get to wait," the tall man whispered to the Puppy. "It's how he proves he's still the Rogue."

Unable to contain myself, I say, "Some Rogue." The three of them look toward where we were, against the wall. I could see the recognition in the Puppies eyes just by the sound of my voice. I couldn't help but feel impressed with her keen senses. "Sits on his arse like a sarden king and bribes others to stand for him. I'd hope for someone livelier in charge here."

The woman glanced at Kayfer who was too busy whispering to one of his chiefs to care about what just spilled from my lips. The tall man, ambled over to the Carthaki woman, that I recently discovered her name was Ulsa. The woman sat in front of me before I tore my eyes from the man. Kora fingered her gown as the Dog sat before me. She was getting ready to drag a knife of the Dog if they decided to start trouble. Aniki was more relaxed than Kora, with her arm propped up against her bent up knee, leaning back against the wall as if she didn't care.

"Now, laddybuck," the Dog said with an obviously false friendliness in her voice, "why don't you tell me what kind of lively you're looking for? I'll direct you where to find it, away from Corus." She smiled, resembling a dog baring its teeth at me. I returned the smile then averted my eyes to the tall Dog as he made Ulsa laugh. Then, I looked at the Puppy. Her icy glare caught me for a short moment before she looked away.

Kora nudged me with her shoulder. "Stop it, Rosto," she said, knowing that I was trying to make them uncomfortable. "Fidget someone who fidgets you back." She nodded to the Dog. "He's Rosto the Piper," Kora began to introduce. She was sometimes too friendly. "I'm Kora, and that's Aniki." Aniki raised her hard lazily as though she didn't care. "We heard life was more...interesting...in Corus, so here we are." Kora gave her a truly kind smile, better than the one that the Dog was giving her.

"Scavengers always come looking where they hear of a feast. So far it's been long put off," the Dog told us. "Kayfer - his chiefs - have done away with any challengers."

"Oh, we're not looking to challenge," I assured her. "We hope to be entertained. Scanra was that bare of entertainment."

"Here's a fine looking cat," Ankiki said, not listening to our conversation. A black cat sauntered up to her and she stroked his fur. "A very handsome, elegant -" she stopped, gulping a little.

"Purple eyes," Kora said, observing the cat from across me. I too felt a little odd about the purpled-eyed cat. "Odd-colored eyes in a creature mean it's god-marked." Interesting. A god-marked cat. She reached over to pet him as he butted his head to her palm. The cat seemed to really like Kora.

"He's the Puppy's" the Dog said, not faltering her gaze. "He's a clever beast." The cat gave a few _mrts_. The Puppy gixie rolled her eyes at the cat as though she understood what he was saying. I looked pasted them, noticing an odd presence of a gaunt, unshaven man. His hollowed eyes looked about the room. The wrinkles in his leggings made it look as though he slept in them, though his tunic of knee-length was in a better condition than his leggings. His knotted black hair made him look slightly like a cracknob. Two of his menservants followed closely behind him with empty scabbards attached to their belts; the guards must have taken their weapons.

The tall man came to stand next to us, making the other Dog stand to her feet. The Puppy stood next to the woman's elbow, not blocking anyone's view. In the corner of my eye, I saw Aniki wink at the gixie.

"Kayfer, you two-faced scummer, we was _partners_!" screeched the crazed looking man. "Even a sucking leech like you shoulda been content wi' your share, you greedy-gutted spintry!"

The Rogue stood on his platform - by far the most movement I had seen him do since I arrived. He rubbed the top of his head as he said, "I beg you, Ammon, calm down," he said, his voice was trying to be soothing as though he were trying to coax a baby. "Whatever your grievance wi' me, we can surely sort it out."

"Grievance? You call my great-grandson's murder a grievance?" the man hollow-eyed man yelled, pointing an unsteady bony finger at Kayfer. "What kind of monster takes a wee child from his family and murders 'im for profit? Did you think you could hide behind notes smuggled into my house and I would not suspect you?"

The Rogue stepped down from the raised platform. Both of his hands were out, his face was filled with sorrow as though he practiced for years. "Ammon, I know it is your grief which makes you say these things."

"Butter just melts on 'is tongue, doesn't it," I murmured, finding myself rather irked with the Rogue.

"Bad laddie," Aniki said to me. "Hush. Listen to a master work." I continued to watch the show.

"Of course it's my grief, Stormwings take your eyes!" screamed the cracknob. Something in me twitched. I noticed a shape in the man's clothing that resembled a knife of some sort. I readied myself. I didn't want to interrupt the show until I was needed. "Your Shadow Snake murdered my Rolond, when he was not in our business!" Tears trickled down the man's gaunt face.

"Ammon, the Shadow Snake is a bogey to frighten children." I sure had never heard of such a 'bogey' though, it was probably just a Corus tale. "You must be cracked spun with grievein', to say I'd deal with a monster out of tales. And as for me of all folk sendin' anyone t' harm a _child_..." His voice creaked when he said _child_. "Ammon, I swear on the name of my own grandbabies, I did not do it." Kayfer's eyes held steady. My eyes kept going back to the man named Ammon. I was wondering when he was going to use that weapon he had concealed. "In the name of Bright Mithros and the Goddess herself, I swear it. I would never bring such harm to any family of yours. We depend on each other, old friend. I never conjured up a nightmare like the Snake. I never gave the task of murderin' your little cove t' any of my chiefs. My chiefs would never do such a thing at my biddin'"

"Crust right we would not!" exclaimed a redheaded chief named Dawull. The Rogue glared, obviously not expecting anyone to say something, but Dawull just smiled at Kayfer.

The cracknob spit at the Rogue's feet. "Liar!" He glared at everyone in the room. "You're leeches, living off the rest of us and feeding oathbreaker!" The man was exhausted, I could tell by his voice. "Look at the lot of you! Sitting here lapping up drink and food like caged birds. I curse him. If you take his orders and protect his throne, then I curse you in Roland's name. You best mind your children!"

"Crookshank, you're mad!" Ulsa cried. "There is no such creature as the Shadow Snake!"

Just then, Kayfer sent his rushers to seize this man called Crookshank and his guards as he stepped forward. "It is terrible, what's happened. We all are sick with sorrow for it," his voice was quiet. "But why you, Ammon? Why might someone callin' himself Shadow Snake target your house, your family? What tidbit has come into your hands of late? Why have you not offered a taste to your Rogue?" Now I was curious as to what they were talking about but it was also the moment I saw Crookshank twitch. He plunged into the folds of his tunic and pulled out a knife. He lunged for the Rogue. The Rogue's chiefs ran to protect the man, but I was already there. I had been waiting for my time.

I plucked the dagger from Crookshank's hand and glanced back at my ladies. They were talking about me, I could tell. I handed the knife to Kayfer and checked to see if the cracknob held any more weapons but I found something more interesting in hidden. I snatched up the pouch and bent down to slip it in my boot, pretending to help the scummer to his feet.

I was making my way back to Kora and Aniki as I saw the tall man shack Aniki's hand. I had my hands in my pockets looking casual. I saw the short Dog whisper _up_ into the Puppy's ear. The gixie took out her baton and spun it in her fingers. I was level as she went to put it back in her belt and she dropped it. I was confused for a moment, but in the moment she lunged for it across my shins. She placed the blasted thing between my feet and made me tumble on top of her. We ended up in a clumsy tangle.

"Dear, if you'd asked, I'd've considered it," I muttered as I tried to break free of our mess. "You're a pretty thing when you look a cove in the eye." I was being honest at that moment. She untangled herself from me, apologizing as she grabbed her baton from my legs. I was rather frustrated with the gixie though. I almost managed to free myself before she did but she would move and get me into the tangle even more.

The woman Dog came over and straightened her clothes as Kayfer's guards dragged Crookshank away, screaming. The Dog scolded her Puppy for being clumsy.

"Now, Clary, the Pup can't help it," the tall man said. "Her second day, after all. She's yet to get used to things breaking out sudden-like."

I paid no more attention to them. The Rogue himself was making his way up to me. He nodded at the Dogs as he passed them and extended his hand to me. Kora and Aniki fussed over my clothes but when Kayfer was closer, they stood behind me. I took the extended hand. "The least I could do, Majesty. I saw the knife's shape against the old cuckoo's tunic. Sad work your guards done searching 'im you ask me," I said. I looked down at my boot and noticed that leather wrapping I had taken from Crookshank was gone. Oh that gixie was good. I wondered if she had experience thieving before the life of law took over her.

Kayfer's smile was friendly to my surprise. "You've a good eye. Are you and your gixies here lookin' for work? My gate crew goes for a swim tonight unless they convince me they can make their way back into my good graces as wounded mumpers." I didn't really like the choices but it was something to start myself with work.

Before I could answer, the male dog stepped in. "Majesty, you're not talking of breaking the law in violence before three Dogs, are you?" The politeness in the man's voice was impressive.

"Never a bit, Mattes Tunstall," Kayfer laughed. I felt a bit relieved that I found out his name. I was getting a bit annoyed as he knew mine yet I didn't get to return the favor. "Why don't you and Goodwin come settle our business. Young Rosto and I can talk later." Goodwin - the other Dog's name. "Maybe extra sweetenin' will make it into this week's Happy Bag, to assure you I'd never do violence with the Dogs out." He glanced at the Puppy and pinched her cheek. She looked far from amused with his action and seemed as though she wanted to bit his hand off. "Leave the Puppy. She doesn't look like she'll last."

The Puppy clenched her jaw tightly. I thought she was going to be breaking her own teeth but my mind was set on something else. As her Dogs went to the throne, she stood in what Dogs call the "rested position" with their baton held in both hands before them with their feet braced accordingly.

"A nice trick, lifting that pouch from me." I was at her elbow, bending a little to talk in a low voice. "If you're a Fishpuppy like the gossip says, it's because you're so slippery." I had heard the gossip as I was eating my breakfast, though I thought nothing of it at the time. I might have to look into it one day. "I don't suppose you'd take a silver noble to tell me what it is, once your Dogs have a look? From the feel it's gems, but it never hurts to be certain." She didn't answer me, just looked into me eyes. "Not taking offense over a bit of bribery, are you?" I mocked. I was still a bit miffed at her for that trick she pulled. "On the very night your Dogs are here to collect their bribes from the Rogue?"

She glared at the floor. "That's different. That's for all the work everyone of us does to keep the streets orderly. _You're_ asking me to sell out my Dogs."

I rocked back on my heels. "Hel-lo! It has a bark _and_ a bit!" She was a shocking little gixie. I found myself intrigued. "Here I was think you're a mousy little bit. But you're not mousy, are you?" I raised a hand, going to give her a slight tap on the face, nothing too hard, but hard enough. She blocked my hand before I touched her face. She was fast. She turned her hand around to grip my wrist and dug her thumbnail deep between the tendons.

Damn that hurt.

"_Ow,_" I say trying to get my hand back but the harder I tugged the deeper her thumb went and the more pain I felt. Oh the Puppy was a tricky one.

"Rosto, you take shy as fearful," Aniki said as she propped herself on my collarbone. "Why would a coward become a Dog? There's easier ways for a pretty gixie to make a living." She pressed her elbow down on my collarbone as she smiled at the Puppy. "Normally he's not thick about mots, but he's slow when they're not in love with him. Me and Kora as to knock him around until he got us figured out. Say you're sorry, Rosto, and don't try to bribe the nice Puppy again."

I looked down at my arm as I felt something trickle. I was bleeding. "I'm sorry, all right? I'm _bleeding_." The feisty Puppy broke skin. She took hand away and observed my blood on her thumb before wiping it on her black breeches.

She looked into Aniki's blue eyes, which were smiling at the girl. Aniki was already taking a liking to the new Puppy. "Two days as I Dog and I've my first bribe offer. I think it's a record," the Puppy said with a small smile playing on her lips.

Ankiki laughed and punched my arm lightly. "She's _shy_, cabbage head, not stupid."

I took out a handkerchief and pressed it against my wound. The blood was starting to get to me. "So I'm learning," I told the gixies. "What's your name, then shy-not-stupid Puppy."

"Beka Cooper," she told us with a shrug.

Kora was soon at my side, holding that strange cat. "I heard folk say last night they your mother was an herbalist." Last night? In the eating house perhaps? "So then you might be able to tell me where I could get good dried and fresh herbs, the reliable sellers? We're still learning our way around. With so many markets I hardly know where to look." She held a good point. We would need those herbs sooner or later. I seemed to surprise Cooper with my knowledge of herbs. Aniki left to go play dice.

"So, Cooper," I said after Kora thanked the Puppy for the suggestion, "how quick is this Rogue to wield the whip?" She looked at me, waiting for an explanation. "That Crookshank fellow. What did the Rogue call him?"

"Ammon," she said. "That's his birth name, Ammon Lofts. In the streets he's Crookshank, scale and landlord."

"Ammon Lofts," I repeated. "Him. Your Rogue daren't let him go unpunished, can he? Not after Master Lofts called Crookshank spits at his feet in front of his whole court." I wanted to know how the Court worked here.

"You'd have to ask the Rogue," she said after a long pause. "How was it done in Scanra?"

"Right then and there," I told her. "The one time I saw it done. Poor fool was drunk. Not that it stopped our Rogue." I continued on with the story, Kora putting her bits in as I went because I hadn't remembered them or I didn't want to add them in. Cooper looked interested in our tale but it only lasted until her Dogs came with a hefty bag. We said our goodbyes to them and the cat as they fell in behind the Dogs.

"She's far more interesting than I thought," Kora said. "I like her."

"So does our Aniki," I said. "She isn't that friendly with everyone." I looked over to where Aniki and a rusher played dice. Just at the moment, Kayfer made his way toward us.

"So what do you say?" he asked looking at the three of us with great interest. "Will you be guards for the rest of the night?"

I looked at my ladies. Aniki smiled and nodded. Kora, I knew didn't want to but we needed the money. She wanted to get started on her own work soon enough. "Just for tonight," I told him. Kayfer clapped his meaty hands and had his chiefs show us were to settle ourselves. The night was boring, though I did pick a few pockets while I checked the comers but I didn't do it too frequently. It was only those who were giving me a hard time. I tried to keep my mind but it kept wandering to the leather wrapping Beka had taken from my boot.

At nights end, Kayfer paid us for our services. It was a nice size purse. "Come around again," Kayfer offered. "My chiefs might want to make use of you." That was promising. I looked at Ulsa, who winked at me. Dawull looked at Aniki, measuring her. Kora wasn't interested and she let it show. Kayfer thanked us and we took our leave, back to the inn.

"We will need to find a permanent place to stay," Aniki said. "If we are going to get some work here then I'm assuming that we are going to be here for good." She looked at me expectantly.

"We will," I assured her. "I'll go searching for something tomorrow."

"Tomorrow I'm going to be look for my own work and buy a few herbs," Kora announced as we walked through the Cesspool. I hid the purse of money in my tunic, so I knew exactly where it was.

Once again, I thought of the leather wrapping. I have my mind set. I am going to look for Beka tomorrow morning to see if she will tell me what I had originally taken from Crookshank. It was I who rejected the gixies tonight. I have too much on my mind. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep with so much going about my head, but I have to wake up early so I can catch Beka.


	3. Chapter 3

_**(Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, the major plot, and some of the dialogue but most of the subplots belong to me)**_

**Friday, April 3, 246**

Daymarket wasn't as lively as Nightmarket but it sure had some activity about. I strolled among the people, receiving several interested glances from mots I didn't know. It was too early to get friendly with them anyway. I had just woken not but an hour before and I had something to do. I need to find that Puppy.

I decided on some breakfast and found Mistress Noll's stall. Last night, I had heard people say she was the best with spice rolls and such. I leaned up against the stall so I was half turned to the rest of the market. "Good to see you again," the old woman greeted. I was impressed that she remembered me. She had to have hundreds of customers a day. Could she remember me by face? "I hope those fritters were to your liking," she said to me. She remembered me and she remembered me well. For an old mot, her memory was more impressive than some of the rushers at court…then again, half of the rogues there were scuts.

"What would you like today?" I looked at the variety set before my eyes. They were all warm and delicious looking. I settled on a turnover and a cinnamon raison patty. They both looked good to me and I like to have a couple of choices in my meals.

She handed me my food in a handkerchief I had given her. It was one of my extras I carried. "Thank you," I said to her. I was about to leave, but decided against it. "Excuse me," I said politely. Mistress Noll looked up at me with raised eyebrows. "I was wondering if you could point me to where a gixie named Beka Cooper lives."

"Beka?" the baker said. The tone in her voice made it obvious that she knew her. "She lives on Nipcopper Close," she told me as though everyone knew. Maybe everyone did. It didn't seem as though a lot of people lived here. "I'm not entirely sure which place but I do know Nipcopper Close." I thanked her again and was about to leave. "Wait," she told me, taking a hold of my wrist with a strong hand. "She had a bit of a chase last night. I don't know how well she'll be to visitors if the poor gixie is well enough to stand. She had a pretty tough chase."

"Really?" That was news I hadn't heard the full detail of. I heard a vague telling but not in as much detail at the old baker was telling me. "Did she bag 'em?"

"Of course she did," she said waving her hand at some passersby. "Beka chased her all around the Cesspool until they was near the North Gate. Then she dragged the drunken mot to the Jane Street Kennel." I might have been new in the City, but I knew how long of a distance it was from the North Gate to the Kennel. "That mot was drunk on hotblood wine; it gave her quite a bout of energy." Just then, more customers came by to get breakfast for themselves. I decided that I should leave.

Along the way, I heard more about Beka's chase. I had even heard more about the mot that she took down. I had shortened it to a more simpler version:

The woman beat her husband and three children often. She made a lot of ruckus doing so, causing the neighbors to be disturbed. Then Beka and her Dogs came about and the mot Dog was struck – hard. I couldn't imagine. That Goodwin mot looked tough. The woman, Orva, jumped out of her window, Beka followed and continued to follow until she caught her.

With the help of a few coves and mots, I found my way to Nipcopper Close. I didn't have to look hard to find the Pup. She was standing before her lodgings glaring at two little gixies, draped in ragged clothes. They glared at each other. Then one of the gixies threw a cabbages at Beka; she dodged it easily.

"Y' took our mama!" cried the oldest of the gixies. I assumed it was the children of Orva Ashmiller. "Giver 'er back, Y' stinkin' puttock." The gixie's sister began to cry. I decided to approach the area slowly. People pretended not to watch as they passed by.

Beka made a face. It was a mixture of feelings. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her nob wasn't as simple as Kora or Aniki's. Her expressions were much more difficult to translate. "Your mama did a bad thing when she struck a Dog with a knife," she told the sickly thin children. "There is no forgiving that under the King's law. You draw a blade on a Dog, the Magistrate sends you to prison. If your mama behaves, she'll come home one day. But she was going to prison the moment she attacked Guardswoman Goodwin with steel."

I sighed. I had enough of Beka's preaching about the law. As a rogue, I didn't usually follow the law. It tends to get in the way of my morals. I stepped in unnoticed until I said, "Here, you beggars – you've done enough damage! Scat!" I slipped two coppers into my fingers. I would pay them to leave so I could go about my business with Beka. "Be grateful you're still alive alive to cry for your ma. Be gratefuller still your da has two eyes in his head yet." Oh yes, I heard about the damage that Cesspool mot had done to her husband.

I flipped them their coppers and they were off, chasing the money. I put my hands in my pockets. I could see that Beka was observing me carefully. I was positive that she saw the prints of my weapons. She was a keen gixie. I noticed her eyes pass over my clothes. They were clean from muck of the sort. Kora made me a charm to keep it off after what happened yesterday.

There was a stain on the front of her tunic. Pity, the children must have hit her the first time. "Here," I said, taking Kora's charm from around my neck. It was the least I could do and it was my secret congratulations on bagging that drunken mot. "Kora made it for me, to get stains out of my clothes. She dose very good charms, our Kora." I looked at the around neighborhood as though I didn't take a good look at it before. "Nice neighborhood, this. Handy to the markets and the riverfront."

Beka looked about her street with a bit of a hesitant gleam. I didn't know if she were wary of me or of my charm. Whatever the case, she used the charm on her stains. The muck from her shirt fell as though it were just meant to last for those few moments.

"Thanks," she said as she returned the charm to me. There was a bit of relief in her eyes. "Appreciate it. I don't owe you anything, though."

That caught me a bit off guard but I said naught. I didn't even let my expression change on my face. I just waved her words aside with my next words. "Look, Cooper, I insulted you, offering a noble last night – I see that now. I was naughty." Wow, that slipped. I was interested in hearing her bit of information – truthfully, my curiosity was hungry for the knowledge of what was in the wrapping.

The gixie gave me a sidelong glance. It was interesting how she still had the air of a Dog around her – hell, she was just a Pup but had a Dog-like air. I can't say better for other Dogs. Something drew my eyes downward as it touched my thigh. It was that cat with the purples eyes. He stretched and drew his claws into my leggings.

"Look here," I say to the cat, "whoever you are, I am _not _a scratching post." I bent low and pet the odd cat. There was something about him that made me want to pet him sometimes. I even forgot about my ripped clothes. It was then I decided to strike a deal with the Pup. "A noble and a half."

She nibbled her lip. I stared, watching her lips just for a moment longer than I would have originally. "You don't want to know bad enough, I suppose. Pity." A thought passed in my mind. What could have possibly been in that wrap?

I made a face. If upped the bribe to see how far she could go, then I would have to withdraw my deal. "Two silver nobles. It had better be worth it," I told her.

There was something in her eyes that made me want to take back all of my interesting in the Puppy but then she held out her palm at me. "Pay up." There was something wicked being her blue-gray eyes that I liked. As I paid her, her cat quickly jumped for her shoulder.

I took a step forward, slipping the money in her hand as I said, "Interesting cat, he is." I scratched his chin.

"Rough, sparkling stones, very colorful, tucked in reddish rock like the kind you find all over the Lower City." Her voice was soft. "My Dogs have never seen any like them. We had another stone like these. Crookshank's grandson gave it to his wife, who's a friend of mine." For a Pup, she had friends in strange places. "My Dogs will find a mage to see what they are." She hesitated to tell me something else, but then remained silent.

"Stones that two experienced Dogs can't name? That's a curiosity." I was thinking more out loud than I was speaking to her. "This Lower City of yours is all tied in knots, you know." I looked down at her. She was just a few inches shorter than me. "You take care, Cooper, before you get strangled." It was a good bit of advice and encouragement for her. She might need it as a Puppy.

I was already walking away when I heard her voice echo across the buildings with her retort. "I'm not a cove who's a bit too interesting and a bit to fast at Kayfer's Court," she said. I looked around the neighborhood, whistling, in a strangely good mood. I got the information out of her, though it wasn't too hard of a push to get it out of her.

I knew for a fact that I would be seeing more of the Puppy and I liked that idea. She was a witty gixie and I knew that Kora and Aniki really like her. Maybe a few visits were in order. Then a better idea jumped into my nob. I began to ask around for the owner of the buildings. I found myself directed to her within minutes. She was an aging mot but still a kind looking one.

"Excuse me," I said to the woman. She looked up at me with sheer surprise. She set down her sewing and stood up to greet me properly. "I was wondering if you have any other lodgings opened? I need three rooms if that means anything."

"The rent is four silver nobles a month," she told me. Four silver nobles? That wasn't too bad compared to the other places I had looked into before. "Any place specific?" I knew then she saw me talking to Beka. She must have known I was interested.

"I just need three rooms," I told her. I knew Beka would be suspicious if we moved in with her.

"Then I have the perfect place for you," she said giving me a smile. "There is one tenant there so far. Her name is Beka Cooper." Oh good, she was going to douse me in my sleep. "There are two rooms downstairs and one room up." I nodded. "If you want the rooms you best pay up now. It's five silver nobles a room."

"Can we settle the rest of this later tonight?" I asked her. "I will have the payment by tonight." I already had it but I needed to buy a few things. "But before I go, I need to know; are there only rooms." The landlady shook her head. She told me what the lodging entailed. "I'll come back again tonight with the payment. Don't let anyone get those rooms."

"Oh, I doubt that they will," the landlady said. "Not many people want to live with a Puppy. Especially since what happened last night."

I smiled at her and nodded. Turning around, I see Ulsa strolling down the street. What was she doing there? Shouldn't she be with her Rogue at about this time? I was just going to ignore her, but she was already making her way to me.

"Good morning," she said as though we were old friends. "Rosto, right?"

"Yes," I said hiding my wariness with fake cheer. "How are you this fine morning?"

"Excellent," she told me. "But I'm not here to talk about weather. I have sommat to ask you." I waited with raised eyebrows. "I want you as part of _my _court."

"That wasn't a question," I told her. My remark took her by surprise. Apparently, she thinks I'm an idiot. "If you have a proper question, I may have a proper answer." Sometimes, I can't help but give people a hard time, especially the ones that I don't really enjoy.

"Do you need work?" she prompted. I nodded. Who didn't nowadays? "Would you like to work with me?"

"We'll talk about it again tonight," I told her, taking my leave. "At the Court of Rogue." Of course I was going to say yes. I needed the coin but from experience, I knew that accepting an offer seemed too eager. I was going tell her may answer tonight.

Kora and Aniki were waiting for me by the inn. Aniki looked as bored as she ever. She lacked excitement in her life. That's why she wanted to come to Corus with me. Kora wanted to come because she didn't like scrounging for food and we all wanted a good bit of entertainment. But the only source of amusement I found was with the Dogs. They were so different compared to those in Scanra. The Court still had yet to catch my interest, though last night wasn't too bad. Oh, that's right, because two Dogs and their Puppy were there to amuse us.

"Where have you been?" Kora asked like a worried mother. "You took a long time."

"I was just taking a look," I told them with a shrug. They didn't need to know every thing I was up to.

"Taking a look? At a certain Puppy?" Aniki asked. I glared at her. This mot always read me like an open book. "Oh, Rosto, you sly spintry. Do you honestly need a third?"

"I'm not interested," I told her. "Though, I did find us some nice lodgings, if you are interested. It's cheap and affordable for the three of us. All we need to do is buy a few things before we move in." I told them the price of the rent and other things that the landlady told me.

"You said there was another tenant there," Kora said. I was hoping that they wouldn't ask who it was. "Who is it?"

I hesitated with an answer. Aniki laughed. She knew. "Beka," I said. "It was the only one that the landlady would really tell me about because she saw me talking to Beka this morning." Kora nodded looking at me with a smile in her eyes. "Either that, or she knows that I'm a rusher and she wants me to live with a Dog-to-be."

"I think choice two," Aniki said. "Did you hear about what Beka did last night?"

"Yeah, Mistress Noll told me when I was getting a quick morning meal," I told them. "She's a terrier, I hear."

From Fishpuppy to Terrier," Aniki said. "This gixie is going to get places fast." Kora and I agreed with her. "I can see why you find her so appealing," Aniki told me.

"What?" I asked. "I only went to see her today because she knew what was in the wrap I took last night. Oh," I said beckoning them closer. "She told me some interesting things today." I told them of the mystery stone.

"The Dogs don't even know what it is?" Kora said. "That's interesting. It must be rare."

"Why would Crookshank be carrying it to the Court of Rogue?" Aniki asked. "And what is the Shadow Snake? Since the moment we got into the city all I have are questions."

"With easy answers," Kora said. "The Shadow Snake is a tale that parents would tell their children to keep them mannered or behaved. In the tale the Snake would kidnap children and sometimes kill them."

"Folk would actually tell that story to their children?" Aniki asked before I could. It was a bit of a dark story for the younger children. It probably scared them – which was probably the point. "That's a bit harsh don't you think?" I shrugged at her.

"I need to go find those herbs," Kora said. "I need to start making ointments and creams so I can sell them."

"Are you going to see the Rogue with us tonight?" Aniki asked.

"No," she said in her soft voice. "I am going to ask some laundresses if they are hiring. I would rather work on being a hedgewitch than a rogue if we are going to be livin' with a Puppy. She'll need to have at least one honest person to live with."

"Are you saying that we aren't honest folk," I asked feeling offended by her comment.

"No," she said. "I'm just saying, if you don't want her to bag you you're going to have to keep your yap shut about what you do on your nights. Beka doesn't seem like the kind of gixie to defend a friend if they did wrong. She knows that they need to be thrown out." Kora was right. Beka had to be kept in the dark about a lot of our work. I was sure she wouldn't enjoy hearing them.

**Written After Midnight**

The court wasn't as interesting tonight as it was the night before. I should have expected it to be as such. The lazy man Kayfer sat on his ass like he usually did and ordered people about. I placed myself against the wall where I could see the goings on in the room. There was more games of dice about than before. People were getting desperate for coin nowadays; they would do anything for it. More and more puttocks are appearing around the Cesspool.

"So have you decided," Ulsa asked. She wore clothes to impress and impress is what she did for most of the coves about the court. I could tell that she was a bit annoyed with my response this morning so I decided to make it easy for her.

"Yes," I told her. "I'll take you up on your offer." I gave her one of my sharp smiles and looked her straight in the eyes. "When do I begin trailing behind you?"

"Tonight," the chief of Prettybone told me. "We will be leaving soon. Aniki is wanted by someone else." Aniki waved at the sound of her name. She was only half listening to the conversation. Most of her attention was on the game of dice before her.

A moment later, Dawull approached her, offering her a job. She shrugged and said a simple "sure." Dawull laughed at her rather simple answer but her shook her hand. He led her over to meet the rest of his crew.

"Come," Ulsa said. "I'm going to have to explain how _I_ run things in my district." I pushed myself off of the wall and made my way out. Honestly, the way she ran things was what I considered active. I spent most of the night thieving things from the folk in Prettybone. The Dogs there were easy to slip past. Often times, Ulsa would compliment me on my quickness. We returned to a tavern where she seemed to set up her own court and had a few drinks. I didn't want to have too many. I needed my senses for the walk back.

"You're extra careful about the Dogs," she said in my ear. I was being a little wary. If I was going to live with a Puppy, then the Dogs would know where to "sniff" me out. And Beka wouldn't let me slip by so easily, I was sure of it. There was something in her eyes that said she didn't trust me. Mayhap it was because I was a rusher.

After Ulsa decided that she wanted to rest, I went to the landlady. I knocked on her door softly. She opened it, expecting me. "Hello, mistress," I greeted her. "I have the money," I told her. I handed her twelve silver nobles. She nodded. "Is that it?"

"When will you be moving in?" she asked.

"In the morning, mistress," I told her. She nodded. We finished our business and she let me out. Returning to the inn, where Kora was already in bed sleeping, I slipped into my room. Aniki was sitting in the chair waiting for me, looking rather tired. "What's wrong with you?" It looked as though she were in the midst of getting undressed.

"Just thinking," she said. "I owe Beka's Dog two silver nobles." She stood and kissed my cheek. "I'm going to bed. Dawull's crew was a bit rowdy tonight." Rowdy? They must've been very rowdy in to make Aniki tired.

I sat on my bed, thinking. Then I suddenly had the urge to bathe. I had one this morning, but I still wanted to sit in the warm water. And I liked to stay clean. I might not be able to wash up tomorrow if I'm moving in most of the morning.

No one was in the bathhouse, only those who worked at night. I decided to make it a quick bath. The folk working looked tired. When I finished I tipped them and went on my way back to the inn.

My writing is getting sloppy with my weariness. Tomorrow I'm moving in with a Puppy. I am going to need my strength.

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**A/N: Sorry for the wait. Things came up and I was delayed. I kind of rushed through this chapter. Sorry about that too. I'll fix it later. I have to fix my first two as well.**


	4. Chapter 4

**_(Disclaimer: I do not of the characters, the major plot and some of the dialogue but most of the subplots belong to me) _**

**Saturday, April 4, 246 **

The sun was on the verge of rising over the horizon when I woke. I could hear Kora shuffling about in her room. What was she doing up so early? I wondered to myself.

I dragged my sorry self out of bed and was greeted by a faint chill of the morning. I had never woken up so early since my arrival in Corus but it was a good thing I did. There were still some things I needed to get. I looked around my room and saw that there packs stacked near my door.

"Kora!" I exclaimed. In the room beside me, I heard Kora squeak. She was caught. I burst into her room and snarled at her. "You didn't happen to go into my room did you?" She didn't say anything, just rolled her eyes and continued to put her things in to packs and trunks. "Do I not get an answer?"

"Yes," Kora said. "I did go into your room because I knew you weren't going to pack your things until last minute. I don't know about you or Aniki, but I don't want to stay here any longer. I want some place semi-permanent."

"You could have just woken me up!" I said, though I wasn't too angry with her. She had been eager to find a place to settle down. She had always been like that but she never found the perfect spot. "Did you wake Aniki?"

"No need," she said from behind me. "You're bellow could be heard through all of Corus, I'm sure of it." She leaned back on the wall across from Kora's door. "May I ask why we are up so early?"

"Because we are moving!" Kora said. Excitement filled her eyes. I turned to see Aniki's reaction, and just as I suspected she rolled her eyes. "Do you think I would wake up this early for nothing?" Kora asked putting her hands on her hips. She had us there. Aniki and I both knew that Kora wasn't one for early morning adventures. She became pissy and threw fire charms at the person disturbing her peace.

"I'll get my stuff," Aniki said. Within an hour, we were ready to leave. "Rosto, help me with this, will you?" Aniki called from her room. I went in there and saw her standing next to a table. It was loaded with her packs. I didn't ask why she was stealing the table. For the first time, I didn't want to know. I must've been making a face because she then said, "I like the table. It's sturdy and it's better than buying one." I didn't argue with her.

"How are we going to sneak this out?" I asked. I knew of several ways to sneak out the table but I wanted to hear her idea.

"We'll just sneak it out the back, through the kitchens. The cook is asleep still," Aniki said in a matter-of-fact way. "He will be asleep for another two hours."

"How long have you been planning on taking this table?" I asked. She didn't give me a proper answer, only shrugged. "Take off your packs," I told her. "Let's worry about the table first." It didn't take as long as I expected. Apparently, Aniki had been doing some exploring of the inn. She found a set of stairs the led straight to the kitchen, but it was the table that was difficult. It was heavier than it looked. But in the end, we were successful. The table sat in an alleyway, with Aniki guarding it while I returned to get the packs.

"Where have you been?" Kora asked me crossing her arms. I didn't tell her what we were up to, I just told her to bring her things to the back alley; Aniki was waiting. When I finished with the packs and trunks, Kora stood in front of me with laughter in her eyes. "You've been bad, I hear." I looked over at Aniki and she just smiled at me. "This will be a great way to win over a Puppy's trust. 'We brought a stolen table because we liked it so much that we just had to have it.' Nice."

"I'm glad you approve," I told her, giving her my most charming smile. She hit me lightly. "Okay, now we need to put some things on the table so we don't have to make three trips here and back." I looked around. My ladies seemed to have the most packs. "Why did you two bring so much?" I hadn't noticed when we entered Corus. It was probably because we paid some lad to carry them to our rooms. He looked as though he needed the coin and I wasn't willing to give to mumpers, at least not too easily.

We arrived to Nipcopper Close, though the journey was a little difficult. That table was heavier that it seemed. The further we went, the hard it was to carry. Kora took no part in the lifting. Whenever we'd pass food she would go and buy some, saying that she wished to have breakfast with Beka, or that Beka might like them. She's a pleaser, our Kora.

We were just in front of our lodgings when we heard someone shuffling around upstairs where the shutter was open. "It seems as our new neighbor is up," I muttered to myself. Aniki heard me and threw me a crooked smile.

"Kora," Aniki said, slightly struggled. "Open the door to my room. I want the one upstairs." Our room situation was then settled. It didn't matter which one I had. We began to carry up the heavy table to Aniki's room. As we were going up the stairs, a box fell from the table. I reached down to pick it up when Aniki said, "Rosto, leave that box! Kora can get the curst thing. If you try to grab it, you'll dump everything else down the stairs." She looked over her shoulder and said," I think we overloaded it."

I was finally on the landing when I saw who she was talking to. Beka stood in front of her door, wearing but her breeches and breastband. If I am greeted like that every morning, Corus might just be my home forever. Though I know I shouldn't be too hopeful. "Told you I liked the look of the street," I said to her, giving her a long look. At the moment, it wasn't the street I was enjoying. "And here's this place, with three sets of rooms nice and empty, for cheap. I rented 'em last night – me and Kora have the two rooms just down stairs, and you've got Aniki for a neighbor."

She stared at me for a moment then looked down at herself just realizing her lack of clothing. She screamed and slammed her door. I stood there silently laughing at her.

"Come on, Rosto!" Aniki said, pulling the table. I helped her place the table in the room that supplied only a bed, a desk, and a clothespress . All of the rooms looked the same. I went down to my own, carrying my packs with me to unload in my room.

I was starting to unpack and settle into my new home when I heard someone at my door. Quickly I spun around to see Kora, holding a basket. "We are going to ask Beka to breakfast, are you going to join us?"

"I will in a few minutes," I told her. "I'm just going to unpack some things." She nodded at me then left. I laid my things out on the bed before I put them away. I laid on my bed for a few minutes before I heard the sound of trampling feet going up the stairs and shouts from people I had never heard in my life.

"Beka! _Beka!_" A cove yelled. I stood up and peeked out my door but they trope was already upstairs. "Beka, you are _not_ hiding in your rooms all day! You are having fun with your friends! You know, _friends?_" With another trope of people in Beka's room, I doubted that we had enough food for everyone so I went out and bought some more near the lodgings.

"You were there when Crookshank pitched his fit?" asked another cove as I was at Beka's doorway. "The word is he tried to kill the Rogue. Some Scanran pretty boy saved ol' Kayfer's life."

That's when I decided to make myself known. "That 'pretty boy' would be me," I said slowly, making sure he heard me. I stood in Beka's doorway looking down at them on the blanket. I heard the purple-eyed cat give a couple of noises that didn't sound rather normal to me but I tried to ignore that fact. When no one said anything, I looked at my ladies and Beka, saying, "I brought fresh food."

I found myself a spot and gave Beka the food. We had just finished introductions when Beka's friend Verene asked me why I was called the Piper. "I play well enough, don't I, girls?" I asked Kora and Aniki. They both nodded. I noticed that Kora kept peering at the boy called Ersken, though her eyes were subtle. I smiled thinly. I just lost a bed buddy, that's for sure.

I took out my flute that I kept in my tunic and played. The pretty gixie, Verene knew the tune and began to sing it while Kora danced for us. Kora was a good dancer but she rarely danced while I played my flute. She must have been trying to impress the new cove that she had her eye on.

Beka just watch, seeming slightly detached from the events. Pigeons kept coming and going and she would care for them like pets. What was really strange was that the cat didn't do anything about it. He just looked at them, tilted his head a little and look away. I think once he pushed a bird bread crumbs but that might have been my imagination.

Phelan, the cove that called me a 'pretty boy' and I discussed a wandering mage that we had both met in different towns. I was rather intrigued nonetheless. Before any of knew it was lunch time. We all chipped in a few coins and had someone run out and buy some sausage, cheese, and spinach tart before everyone, save Kora, went on duty.

To Kora's dismay, Ersken decided that he would go with Beka to get the food. I didn't say anything to Kora about the Pup whom she seemed to take a liking to, we would talk about that later. I flirted with Verene a little, but not too much. I didn't really want her getting such an idea. I flirted with a lot of gixies, there wasn't anything special about her. By the look on Phelan's face, he seemed as though he were interested in Verene. She might actually have a chance with him.

Ersken and Beka were silent when they returned. I could tell that something passed between them, like a silent understanding. Of course, that could have just been me being overly suspicious of the two of them. For a moment, I thought that there might have been something between the two of them, but they seemed too much like good friends. Before Ersken left early; he gave Beka a hug and kissed her on the head, friend-like.

The other two, that arrived with him, left just after him. Aniki, Kora and I helped clean up deciding who was going to hold what for the next breakfast. I returned to my room to finish unpacking my things. Though, I never finished. I became uneasy sitting in the room, trying to put things where they belong. I wanted to go out and take a look around some more before I went on duty in an hour.

I stepped out on the street and was greeted by some woman's child. He beamed up at me with his round eyes and held out a toy whittled out of wood. His mother looked at me with worry as though I were going to kidnap her child. "Good morning there, lad," I say to him bending down. "What is your name?" He mumbles some thing but I can't here. "You should wander too far from your mama, she might get worried." I stood and directed him to his mother. She gave me a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Good morning, is he yours?"

"Yes," she took her son by the arm, "Thank you." She hesitated for a moment then continued. "Are you the cove that is living with Beka Cooper?"

"Why, yes I am," I say looking back at my lodgings. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing," she said then turns into her own home. I walked away feeling slightly unnerved by the mot's behavior.

**Written When Returned Home**

Ulsa was just as impressive as she was everyday. Her silks made her look like a queen as she sat in a tavern in Prettybone. The Prettybone district didn't have many taverns and there was something about this on in particular that made me feel like she had it built here for her liking. It was early in the day when I arrived there. Thieving earlier was highly advised by Ulsa because that's when the folk with heavy purses are about.

I didn't thieve much myself, I spent most of my time as look out. I had to look good for the Puppy…at least for now. I just wanted to stay low until she was used to me. She may have taken a liking to my ladies but I could tell she was still wary of me.

"Rosto!" Ulsa called me as I was going out to look out. "I need to speak with you." I gave the coves an apologetic look then settled next to Ulsa. "I hear that you are living with Goodwin and Tunstall's Puppy."

"You heard right," I told her. "Why? Is there a problem with that?"

"Yes!" Ulsa hissed as she bent closer to me. Her eyes were determined. "Why must you live with a Puppy?"

"It was a cheap rental," I told her with a shrug. "And my ladies seemed to take a liking to the Pup. Now I can't break their hearts and make them move out." Not that I would. I thought I heard her snarl at me. "What are _you_ worried about anyway? I'm a very careful man." I put a flat hand to my chest.

"She's going to bag you," Ulsa said. "She's a ruthless terrier, that Cooper."

I grinned at her. "I like a bit of a challenge, don't you Ulsa?" She glared at me. "If I can slip passed a terrier, then I can slip passed a lot of other common Dogs. Think of it as a practice for me." I stood up, dismissing myself from her. "Now, may I go back to my post?" She nodded. I walked out, shaking my head. I knew I shouldn't be harsh to the chief of the crew but I couldn't help myself. I'm not the type of person who stands there and takes orders. I'm the kind of person who gives the order and organizes a plot.

"Rosto," one of the coves I was looking out for called. "What did she want?"

"Nothing of importance," I told him.

"Is it 'bout living with a Puppy?" another cove asked. I rounded on the lanky cove who had just spoken. I could see that he was just asking a simple question, not mocking me. I relaxed.

"Yes," I told them honestly. "She doesn't want me living with the Puppy."

"It takes a lot of balls to live with someone on the opposite side of the fence, you know?" the first cove said. "She can bag ya while you're sleepin'."

"I doubt that," I mumbled. "Don't you think we should be doing our _job_ instead of talking about my choice of a home?" The coves nodded. Within the hour, we picked ten pockets and stole five purses, without getting caught. I'd have to say, that was the best yet. We returned to the tavern where Ulsa was sitting on her bum, drinking a small mug of ale.

We turned in our takings. She inspected them carefully. When she was finished, she gave us an approving nod and gave us our share of what we had grabbed. That was how the Court of Rogue managed. There were folk who worked under the Rogue, who then hired other to work under them to do the dirty work. Whatever we stole, we only got a small cut from it. Then our chief would get a small cut from it. The rest went back to the Court of Rogue in a special room where the coin was safely kept.

It would have been easier to make coin by doing the thieving ourselves but the cut we didn't get to claim was to look out for the folk of the Lower City. It was supposed to help those who needed it. As I contemplate this, I wonder why are there still so many mumpers? Why is the Cesspool as big as it is? I know the answer. Our Rogue is a greedy, insensitive bastard. He refuses to help those who need it. But I doubt there will be any change soon.

Those two coves and I did a few more snatchings. We turned them in and decided that the rest was up to the others of Ulsa's crew. I got a round of ale for the three of us for a job well done when someone burst through the tavern. "Did you hear? Two Dogs and their Puppy are dancin' with some river dodgers."

"Two silvers say that the Puppy's going to die!" someone yelled. Bets took place on the death of the Puppy.

"What d'ya think?" one of the coves I worked with asked. "Do you think the Pup will live?"

"Who are the Dogs?" I asked loudly enough for the announcer of the fight to hear.

"Goodwin and Tunstall," he said.

I look back at the cove. "Two sliver on the Puppy, living." Beka was a strong-headed gixie. From what I could tell, she could keep her head on her shoulders through any fight. The cove smiled half-heartedly at me. "She's too stubborn to die now," I told him. He laughed.

Sure enough, I had won my two silver nobles later that night. "What do you say to one more outing before we go home?" the cove said, paying me my winnings. "Maybe will have some more luck." The coves and I set out, me again on the look out.

We spotted a wealthy looking man walking by, probably on his way home. Most wealthy folk didn't like walking about in the evening. They knew that there would be trouble once it got darker. It's easier to slip things in our pockets in the dark, that's why most crimes happen at night. Though, the Evening Watch is much tougher than the Day Watch, so I observed.

The younger of the two coves cut the purse from his belt and walked off casually down a near by alleyway. I knew that he was coming my way, as it was part of the plan.

"Hey!" someone yelled, making his way to me. It was a Dog. I can safely say I wasn't doing anything so I didn't try to run. Not that I would. I would be the easiest person to find considering who I lived with. "What are you doing just standing there?"

"I'm waiting for my ladies," I told him with a smile. "She and I are to meet here soon. I decided to stop there. If I continued on then the Dog might catch my lie. I was going to try to divert him from my 'suspicious way' when I heard a scream of a child. I looked at the Dog with a confused look and turned. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out," the Dog said. His partner, a mot with short cropped hair began down the alley. I found them to be idiotic for going together down the _same_ alley. There were many escape routes down there. I was about to turn away when I remembered Kora. Kora would be furious if I let a child get hurt when I could have done something. Oh how I hate heroics.

I sprinted down the street where there was another entrance. The coves I was working with saw me and shouted my mine. "Bring it back to Ulsa and make sure I get my cut. I'll be there in a moment." I ran down the garbage riddled alley that reeked of rot and scummer. Prettybone wasn't any different from the Lower City when one went though the back ways.

Then before I could adjust my eyes to the darkness, I heard a someone running at me. The closer he got, the clearer I saw. When he was within reach, I hit him in the stomach. When he doubled over, I kicked his head hard with my heel before I ran off. I didn't want the Dogs to know of my deeds. I didn't want anyone to know of my deeds. I did it only for Kora and Kora alone.

I returned to the tavern and Ulsa handed me my cut. I nodded at her but my mind was drifting else where. I was curious to know what that man really did. I wanted to know if he hurt the child or killed the child. I was going to have to find out. But the happening itself needed to stay secret. I don't want people thinking that I'm soft-hearted.

After getting my cut, I decided on going home. Ulsa dismissed me an hour before but I stayed for one more thieving. As I walked back to Nipcopper Close, I saw rushers beating mumpers, mot and cove alike. It has put me in a fowl mood but it's too late to do anything now.

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**A/N: Happy New Year. I will try to update soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry it took forever. I wanted to update so you know I'm still doing this.

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Sunday, April 5, 246**

I woke at the sight of dawn. It took me a moment to figure out where I was; I had forgotten that we moved. For a moment, I thought I was robbed, but then I realized I left my room a mess. What a nuisance! A sudden urge to clean it pulsed through me as I got up, but I needed to bathe. I was halfway finished with organizing my things when I heard a knock on my door.

Kora stood there with her hands on her hips, looking at me to see if I had gotten hurt. This was a normal thing with us but I tried to stay away from her healings. That wasn't a particular gift she possessed and there were a few occasions when it didn't help at all.

"Morning," I said, leaning against my doorframe eyeing her. "What brings you here, my dear?"

"Breakfast," she smiled at me sweetly. "We'll be in Beka's room in a few minutes. Are you joining?" I found my answer to be rather obvious. I wanted to see the damage done to our Pup. There had to be _some_ type of damage. From the sounds of it, the fight was harsh.

I heard the girls knock on Beka's door, and then the sound of their muffled voices. When I made my appearance, she had her back turned to me so I couldn't see her face, but in the instant she heard me she spun. At the first glance of her bruises, I couldn't help but say, "I'll kiss them and make them better."

Beka moved herself into defense position as though I had just threatened her. My kisses aren't deadly, if they were a lot of mots would be dead, including Kora and Aniki. "Try and I'll bruise _you_. Then Aniki and Kora can kiss _you_ better." I wanted to release a sigh at the feisty Puppy but there was no telling how she would handle that.

"Aniki can do the kisses," Kora said. I knew that was going to happen. Her eyes are on another cove, she doesn't want me to kiss. Kora then shot me a look. "Rosto, don't pull Beka's tail. She doesn't like it." I will have to say, I didn't pull too hard on Beka's tail or she would have bitten harder than that.

I felt something touch the inside of my knee. It was a strange feeling but then it made sense after the cat made a strange noise. He held it out longer than his usually ones. Without realizing it, I stooped to pet the purple-eyed cat.

I released a sigh, not being able to help myself. "I was being _friendly_," I complained, though at the moment, I think the cat was the only one paying attention to me. Beka was still holding out her pose, eyes glued to me. "See if I bring you a treat tomorrow, Master Cat." The cat looked up at me with his purple eyes. I thought he might have been mocking me. "Is there a tomorrow?" I wanted to know. "I think this breakfast idea is quite nice, even with threats and the nasty birds coming and going." Beka eased out of her stance and perched on her stool.

"Not tomorrow, Tuesday's my day off. I leave early to visit my family." I was surprised, though I hid it well. I didn't think she had family. If she had family, I figured that she would be living with them if they were that close to her that she took the time out to visit them. "And tomorrow," she continued, "is our day in Magistrate's Court. It starts the hour after sunrise."

"Ugh!" I grimaced. The thought of sitting in a building an hour after sunrise sounded painful to me. "They don't pay you enough, sweetheart." She scowled at me, though I could tell that it was half-hearted.

Not long after, Ersken and Verene presented themselves with more food. I could almost feel Kora's excitement when her eyes landed on the cove. She was giddier than a gixie about to canoodle for the first time. I almost felt offended but I let it slide. She was never truly my mot. Just a bed friend.

The Puppies had brought some gossip along. Verene was the one who supplied it. She seemed to enjoy herself by knowing the city gossip. "Remember Alacia?" she asked Beka. She looked at Kora Aniki and I. "She's another Puppy, named in tribute to His Majesty's first Queen." I found half of that to be irrelevant to her story, but I kept silent and let her continue. "Well, till yesterday, she was on Day Watch in Unicorn. Then my lord of Olau got word that his youngest and only son has been flirtin' with a pretty Puppy."

"Fast work," Aniki said. "You have been on duty, what, five days?"

"Four, not counting today," Ersken replied. I could have laughed at how specific he was but, again, I remained silent.

Verene didn't seem to enjoy the interruption as much as I did. "_Anyway_," she continued, emphasizing her words. "_Anyway_, the lad's noble father pitched a fit at the Unicorn kennel, and they switched Alacia with Clarke. He was on Night Watch at Prettybone. So now _she's_ on night watch."

I rubbed my chin. "So this Alacia's a sweet armful? I'll look out for her. Dog or not." I silently laughed at myself. Aniki elbowed me hard. I gave her a look.

"Don't you have enough women in your life, Rosto?"

I looked over at Beka with an abstemious look, trying not to smile as I did it. "Now without Cooper, I don't"

"Cooper will never go with anyone crooked," Ersken stated as though everyone should have known. "A rusher was mean to her mother. He's never forgiven them." Well, I find that to be unfair. Not _all_ rushers are like the ones her mama was with. I felt offended, but I didn't show it. There has to be a way to prove that all rushers aren't as bad as the one her mother was with.

There was a small moment of silence before Verene jumped in. I was for sure she was going to say something way before then but she was chewing her food. She told Beka of some dead Dog. It meant little to me, that's for sure, but I couldn't help but see the shock on Beka's face.

As the sun continued to rise, I could tell that Beka was getting antsy, yet, her eyes were drooping. I had never seen such a contradiction. The Puppies left and I helped Aniki clean up. Beka didn't look fit to do anything at that moment. Kora rushed her to bed and we all left her to sleep.

I decided to finish organizing some things in my own room. I felt bored after some time. I am a rusher and sometimes had the tendency to get restless. It was just one of my moments.

I left the lodgings and slowly walked about the city. I have layout of the city in my mind and I'm positive that I know where every street and alley led. It took some time, but I got it. Eventually, I made my way back to my new home and waited until I had to leave for another day with my chief.

**After Duty**

As it turned out, Ulsa had one of her guards killed. I replaced the poor bastard. It was rather unfortunate for me. Sure, I got paid for 'protecting' and escorting Ulsa but it was the most uneventful job. I just stood there, listened to gossip, flirt a little, drink, and ate a little, but I didn't get to leave the tavern in Prettybone. Nope, I had to stay with Ulsa. She flirted with me some and I gave her my most charming smiles in return.

The coves I worked with last night seemed to have replaced me with some other cove who looked clumsy on his feet. One of them gave me an apologetic look before they left. They probably pitied me for having to stand there while they had all of the fun…unless they were the types that liked leisure for coin? I don't know, not like I am going to ask them soon anyway. They were too busy rubbing their freedom in my face.

Oh well, I know I'll get over it. Ulsa had only sat on her bum for the two days. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now. The other men in her crew had said that she didn't mind getting active every once in a while. I can only hope.

After boring night, Ulsa appointed me as one of her permanent guards. She apparently likes the way I do the job. Not like there was much to do. I was beginning to find her dull until she promised to have some fun tomorrow. It was the Dog's court day and all of the Dogs that rushers like me need to worry about would be rotting away in court. I feel sorry for the bastards but I can't help but laugh at them.

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**A/N (again): Not entirely my best but not too bad, I guess. In the next chapter it should prove a little more interesting. I'll have that up by this weekend, Saturday at the least, but it may take a while. I have Finals next week for my Chinese class so I need to do some serious studying...sorry, I'm rambling.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing

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**Monday, ****April ****6,**** 246**

I've been acting like a child that had their sweets taken away, according to Kora. I'm not in the best of moods. Now my mots are mad at me and I won't tell them what's wrong. I guess this is the stubborn park of me that everyone hates. But I'll never admit aloud that I miss the breakfast chats. They are probably the only clam part of my day. I like talking to the Puppies about their whereabouts even if they couldn't hear mine in return.

It was nice being around them. They treated Aniki, Kora, and I like people. It had been years since that happened to the three of us. Even in Scanra, we were treated like objects or like garbage. It toughens the skin somewhat but there is so little to toughen now. The Puppies were open and kind. I don't think their Dogs would enjoy them being around a few crooks but they didn't seem to mind. They liked some of the gossip that we bring to breakfast.

For most of the morning, I kept to my rooms or just went out for a walk. There wasn't much to do for the morning. I decided that it'd be best to just use my time for relaxing. Tonight, I was Ulsa's guard again but this time, she was actually going to go out and pick a few pockets. Or at least, that's what I heard. It is still my first week of court.

I was about to go for a walk before duty started when I heard a rough pounding on my door. With raised eyebrows, I answered the door. To my dismay, an angry Aniki appeared. She burst into my room and glared at me.

"What?" I asked. She was starting to growl. "Aniki, I can't read your mind so you are going to have to tell me what's wrong." She sighed but didn't say anything. I tapped my foot and waited. "Nothing, then please leave because I'm about to go for a walk."

"I'm bored," she said finally.

"Well, I can fix that," I told her as I shut my door. She gave me a laugh as I bolted the door shut. And well…I think I'll just leave it at that.

**Written ****After Duty**

It started out to be normal. I was standing guard of Ulsa for a good three hours. Some of the coves decided to come and talk to me. They fed me gossip on the happenings without the best dogs out and about. It was an easy day for the crooks of the Lower City. Apparently, on the Dogs' court day, it was the Rushers' play day. The good Dogs were sitting in a stuffy courtroom giving their report to a stiff magistrate.

I was talking away with a fellow Rusher when I heard Ulsa chuckle merrily. "Really?" she asked, placing an elegant hand on her chest. She was leaning forward in her chair, listening to what some man was saying. "The Pup is a shy one." I froze for a moment. Which Pup was she talking about? "Rosto, come here."

I obeyed with a sigh and my hands stuffed into the pockets of my breeches. "Yes, Ulsa." There was no tone in my voice. It was dry and unfriendly. I couldn't help it. That's just how it came out but she didn't take notice to my rudeness.

"Your Puppy friend," she said snapping her fingers as if she was trying to remember something. "The blonde gixie that you live with, Beka." I nod slowly. "Did you hear what happened to her?" My eyebrows shot up in question.

"Should I be worried about her?" I asked sarcastically. "She is old enough to take care of herself."

Ulsa brushed off my comment and continued. "We heard news about what happened at court today." There was a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Did you know that she is painfully shy?"

"No," I answered, though it was a lie. I could tell that she was a little shy – well when I first met her. She wasn't so bad around me or my mots anymore. "Should I find this relevant?"

Ulsa glared at me. "It's possibly something that you can use against her later. A shy Pup. She freezes up when she's talking to someone she doesn't know." She sighed happily. "This gixie is going to be fun to to play with."

I nearly snapped. It was bad enough that I considered Beka a friend off duty, so much for claiming that friendship while on duty. I couldn't do that. People would spread rumors about how we were bedding each other or sommat. No – I had to stay silent, for myself and for everyone who lives with us. "Oh yes, I see your point." I lied. I just wanted to get back to my conversation that I had to unwillingly leave. I would rather have listened to the man talk about the new Rushers that thought they owned the streets than how my Puppy friend was the shiest gixie in the Lower City.

She continued to speak to me, but I only half listened. I could see a bit of dislike in her eyes. I assume she rued the day she offered Rosto the Piper a job. That was her own fault. I just needed the money, and the minor benefits were good. People knew who I was and what I was capable of. Not many attacked me because they thought I was being followed by some more of Ulsa's band of crooks.

It's not like I really need them, but I will stick to her for the time being.

When I returned home for the night, I sat in my room and stared at the ceiling above me. I could hear someone walking about. By the sound of the footsteps, I knew it was Aniki. She must have just returned from her duty. Her door slammed. I knew she was probably worn out. There was a bit of a rough patch where she was tonight, so I heard.

So, here is the end of an uneventful day.

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**A/N: Well, it has been too long. I'm sorry for the long wait. For the past few weeks I've been having really bad writer's block. Sorry this chapter really isn't my best. I wanted to get something out there so people would know that I was still continuing this. The next chapter should be better...well, I can only hope. I hope everyone is doing well.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, I know it's been a long time. I'm sorry. I'm going through major writer's block. I won't be around for another two weeks because I'm going in for surgery tomorrow. I'll post again after that.

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_(Disclaimer: I don't own anything)_

Tuesday, April 7, 246

**Written After Duty**

This morning I saw Beka leave in a dress. I gaped at her; thank the gods she didn't see me. Seeing that gixie out of uniform is shocking but what gets me more is seeing her in a dress. It's odd.

Ulsa made me go to the Court of Rogue with her, along with other men that she hand picked for their looks rather than ability. But that's beside the point. Something was weird at Court. Everyone seemed tense. The air was thicker, the rogues weren't as laid back as they once were. Eyes flickered around as though trying to spot something that was causing the tension.

I knew what it was by the look on people's faces. They were decided whether or not their King was being honest about Crookshank's great grandson. I looked at the man and rolled my eyes. There was no way that man could have killed anyone –even a child – unless he fell on top of him. But still, in their eyes I could see the doubt; the rogues are beginning to distrust their King.

My gaze darted between Dawull and Ulsa. Which of the two are going to try to overthrow Kayfer for good? I thought about it and I decided that I didn't wish for either of them to take Kayfer's place. Someone else needed that position.

I have yet to discover who would be best suited for such a job.

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**Yes, I'm aware of how short this is. It's not my best either but I wanted to do a quick update before I left. The next chapter will explain a little more about what happened at the Court of Rogue. It will also be much longer...much much longer. Please don't hate me.**


	8. Chapter 8

**_(Disclaimer: I own nothing)_**

**Wednesday, April 8, 246**

Morning was good to me – for the most part.

I woke in a good mood despite last night but I knew why; we were having our breakfast gathering again. As quickly as I could, I threw on a clean pair of breeches and a shirt, and made my way to the Day Market. It was a nice morning. The sky was blue and the sun was slowly climbing higher in the sky. Pigeons were everywhere, especially around my dwelling. They are nasty little pests but Beka enjoys their company.

In the Day Market, older mots stood in groups and gossiped. They usually supply the best information. I stopped by a group of them and decided to be subtle about my eavesdropping; I bought pickled eggs.

"That Yates boy is in for trouble," one of the mots said. "I hear Beka interfered by pinning his arms down. She's a pretty strong gixie, though she's a bit strange." My ears perked at the sound of Beka's name, and resent quickly followed. Beka isn't weird – well she isn't very weird. She just has weird tendencies.

"Rosto?" I heard a voice that sounded like Verene's. I turned to see the young Puppy sauntering up to me with a basket in her arm. "What are you doin' here?" I held up the pickled eggs. She nodded at me. "Do you want to walk back to Beka's with me?"

"Sure, I'm on my way back anyway," I told her. As we walked, I noticed her silence. Verene always had something to say. What was she holding back then? I would glance at her occasionally. The thoughtful look that plagued her face didn't subside. I knew she was picking her words wisely. "Why so silent?" I asked after a few awkward moments. I shifted the eggs in my arms.

"It's nothin'," she replied, not looking at me. I waited for a bit longer. "You fancy Beka don't you?" The question was so blunt I nearly choked on my tongue. I didn't give her an answer. How could I? I didn't know the answer. I found Beka interesting and I wouldn't mind spending a night or two in her bed (or her in mine) but I never thought of it to be an actual attraction. At the thought of it I denied it automatically.

"No," I said, looking Verene in the eyes. It was weird. I never felt so uncomfortable. I still don't understand what happened. "She's entertaining."

"If you say so," Verene said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Our conversation dropped immediately after we approached Nipcopper Close.

We walked into Beka's room without saying a word to each other. Everyone was already there, cups nearly filled. Kora caught my eye and gave me a wink as though she knew something I didn't. I ignored her and found a place to sit amongst the rest of our breakfast group. Beka sat near me, I couldn't help but look in her direction.

"I missed breakfast these last two days," I said. Everyone nodded in agreement with their mouths full of food. There was a look in Beka's eyes when she agreed with me. It made me nervous but I concealed it from everyone – even the ever watchful Kora.

Verene started talk about Provost's House and Beka's bruises. She complained how Beka never told anyone about what happened. I was confused briefly; I knew most of what happened that night, and I won a couple extra coins from it too.

Verene mentioned something that her Dogs said about Beka's dogs, making Beka glare viciously at her. The glare made Verene shrink slightly as she covered her comment with, "I'm just tellin' you what they said." I watched Phelan sling an arm around Verene and kiss her temple. "Your Dogs are worthless scuts, sweeting," he told her. "Don't listen when they talk scummer like that. Study the good pairs, like Beka's Dogs."

Batting her eyelashes at Phelan, Verene said, "That being' you and your partner?" I watched the two of thnem, not knowing what to think about their flirting.

Phelan laughed. "We aren't even nearly so good."

"Why try, when it's such an uphill battle?" I asked which was followed by a yawn. Those two were starting to bore me. "When you get in trouble someplace like the Barrel's Bottom, and other Dogs take forever to come to lend a hand?"

Beka's foot nudged me. "Why take the trouble to serve any of the Rogue's chiefs when they won't fight to move up at the Court?" she retorted. "Because you're a rusher. Because we're Dogs." I hate to admit that she made good arguments.

"You speak of bein' a Dog like it's somethin' that's in the blood," Verene said with a laugh. "I just didn't want t' fish!" I knew very little about Verene, so I hadn't an idea what she was talking about. Her family were fishers, I presume.

"It's in Beka's blood," Ersken said. His eyes flicked over to Kora but she didn't seem to see. "And I have to tell you, I get to meet more interesting people this way."

"And Beka will never changer her mind?" I asked. I tried to hold her gaze, her oddly colored eyes. "Never, ever?" She looked away from me. I continued to look though my eyes didn't linger on her face the entire time.

"The only ones who fitly punished a cove who treated all my family like garbage was the Dogs, Rosto the Piper. Did you know folk have gone to the Rogue for justice when their children were kidnapped, and he's done nothing?" The tone she took almost sounded like she was blaming me.

"Nor did the Dogs," Phelan said. "I'd've heard if we sought kidnappers in the Lower City." Phelan seemed to like to talk badly of the Dogs even though he was one.

"We're going to," Beka said, determined. "That's what makes us different. We're outnumbered, and not all of us care. But eventually some of us will do what's right."

Aniki smirked, "That's sweet, Beka."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Verene changed the subject, claiming it was too serious for her simple head. We fed the nasty pigeons. Pounce trotted his way over to Beka's side. The pigeons didn't even flinch when the purple-eyed cat presented himself. Beka made eye contact with the cat and a secret message seemed to pass between the two of them. It was as though they were communicating. That cat is suspicious. He was more than what Beka claimed him to be.

Beka fed us some information about someone called the Shadow Snake, which made Phelan snort. Beka glared at him and explained her sudden mention of him. She made a big speech about how bad of a person the Shadow Snake was and that he needed to be stopped. When she finished, she looked a little sheepish.

"I'll do it," Kora said turning to me as though asking me to support Beka too. "I'll do whatever it takes." Kora was a bit touchy on situations similar to the Shadow Snake. It was something that happened to her when she was younger.

I leaned over and stroked her cheek, knowing how she felt. "You know we'd help just for your sake, love."

Aniki agreed. "We have our reasons. Beyond ambition, that is. We'll keep our ears open." Everyone agreed to help her find out more information about this Shadow Snake.

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Ulsa ordered three coves to follow her while she walked the Nightmarket. I, of course, agreed. I was getting bored of staying in the same old district of the city. I was issued as her left guard as we made our way through the market. I thought she wanted to show us off to the people. It was a way of saying "these good looking coves are mine. Look at my power over them."

Though she didn't say why she needed to prowl the market, I knew she had to make an appearance at the Court of Rogue. The Rogue himself was demanding that he saw his Chiefs more. Apparently, he smelled betrayal in his Court. The way I saw it, he wanted more protection.

We made our way through the Market. Ulsa walked with power, having her best coves around her. My eyes swept across the market, observing everyone as we walked. Several pick-pockets and purse snatchers roamed the streets as we made our way to the lower city. People stopped to look at us – well, at Ulsa. Her flashy red shirt and black breeches, both made of Carthaki silk, cause a ripple of heads to turn our way. Ulsa does like to make an appearance.

"Rosto," Ulsa said. I leaned slightly closer to her so she could whisper in my ear. "We are meeting Dawull before we get to the Court. I'll need you to stand guard for us as we discuss a few business matters." I nodded. I had a feeling I knew what these business matters were.

We passed Mistress Noll's stall. Beka stood with her Dogs talking to a girl I didn't recognize. By her body language, she knew Beka very well. I looked away from them, I didn't want my recognition of the Puppy to be noticed. I already received grief for talking to her.

"There," Ulsa said to me, subtly pointing out a rundown inn. "He's meeting us there." She made her way to the side alley where Aniki waited by the door. Her face was blank and she stood in the ready position. She nodded at us and allowed us entry. She showed us to a room where Dawull waited. "All of you out," Ulsa said to her coves. "Rosto, stand outside the door and make sure no one tries to listen in on our conversation." We obeyed without agreement. I stood by the closed door and listened.

"So," Ulsa dragged out impatiently. "Anything?"

"We're going to have to take him down slowly," Dawull said. "We aren't his only well trusted Chiefs."

"But we are his best." I rolled my eyes at that. "He's getting old! There is no way he can stop us."

"I will say this again, we aren't the only people he trusts. There are some folk who will stand up for the scummer. We are going to have to do this piece by piece. Make him weaker by the day. In other words, we need to ruin him and have people turn against him." The man was old and lazy! His reputation was already weakening. Not many people are willing to protect him. If Ulsa or Dawull talked to the other rushers they would know.

"When?" Their voices lowered. The only thing I could hear were two mumbling voices.

"What's going on in there?" Aniki asked leaning against the wall next to me.

"They are planning on overthrowing the Rogue," I whispered in her ear. "And to be honest, they are going about it the wrong way." I sighed.

"I don't think they would be the best people for the Rogue," Aniki said. There was a tone in her voice that indicating she had something on her mind. "There are better suited coves and mots for the job than those jinglenobs."

"It sounds like you're not enjoying your job with Dawull," I said.

"He lacks something," Aniki said, a smirk spread across her face. "We haven't been around for too long, but I think we could do a better job than they can." There was more to her statement than she was letting on.

"Has our Puppy gotten to you?" I teased.

"You have to admit, she made some decent points about the Court of Rogue," Aniki said. "Being in the Court makes us out to be greedy bastards, doesn't it?"

"Yes," I agreed. I silenced her with a hand gesture. Dawull and Ulsa had stopped talking. I heard the sound of careful footsteps come closer to the door. Were they trying to hear what we were saying? "So tonight, are you up for it?" I covered, nudging Aniki to play along.

"We'll just see by the end of the night, laddybuck," Aniki said. "But maybe Kora will have to take my place." She winked at me and walked away.

The door opened, Dawull gave me a look that was meant to be threatening. Ulsa just smirked and walked out of the room. I followed like I was supposed to.

The Rogue was boring. Dawull and his rushers didn't make an appearance. He sent a messenger saying that there was something going on in his district and he needed to take care of it. In the end, everyone knew what happened. The Dogs showed up but they weren't alone. They had the Lady Knight with them.

I returned home Beka was already in her room. I could hear her shuffling around. Kora was sleeping, and I knew better than to wake her. Instead, I went to my room and lay in my bed. I wasn't tired and I'm still not. Everyone is sleeping. Aniki came home a few moments ago; I could tell she had a few drinks more than she should have. I should probably go see if she made it to her room

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**It's been awhile, I know. I sort of just got my computer back. It had a virus and I had to send it to my sister for fixing. I'm now going to try to update once a week, or once every two weeks. I don't know. It depends on the work schedule. I really need to edit this chapter though. I don't like it.**


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

**Thursday April 9, 246**

Children, nothing but the children.

Every tale I heard about this Snake had been about taking children for something precious. I found it rather disgusting. What kind of pervert would go around kidnapping children? It was good leverage – I'll give the cracknob that much but it took guts to do something that horrible. The clever bastard selects his targets that will not be missed. Someone of lower class. If I didn't know any better, he knew the lower city well enough to pick targets.

With all of the information I received and some corn for those filthy birds, I went back to my rooms. It was nearly breakfast time. Kora had reported one case to Beka, looking as though she were going to kill someone. It was very touchy to her. The little birds gave us a bit of a visit. I left early claiming I had errands to run but I only wanted to do a bit of eavesdropping on other rushers. I wondered if any other rusher knew of Dawull's and Ulsa's plan of overthrowing the Rogue.

Slipping out the door, I wandered back to the market and found a group of mots that I saw at the Court of Rogue a few times. I flirted with them, they returned it. I asked them questions, subtly prying but they gave me nothing of interest.

I continued with my search for information but no one knew. Interesting. It seems as though Ulsa and Dawull were more secretive than they led on.

I didn't return to my room at all. Instead, I went straight to the Prettybone district where Ulsa sat lightly upon a cushioned chair. Her legs were crossed at the knee as she leaned back against the chair. Both of her arms rested on the arms rest, and the look on her face as she watched her personal brood of coves entered was smug.

It was obvious that something happened. She was so smug. Even more than before. The corner of her mouth twitched when she caught me looking. Something flashed in her eyes when she looked at me. It was a similar gaze that most mots gave me when I flirted with them – but I never flirted with Ulsa.

The night dragged on. To be honest, sitting in Ulsa's presence was getting unnerving because she kept watching me. I turned to one of the coves named Martin. "So, does anyone know why Ulsa is staring?" I asked him. He glanced over at Ulsa and shrugged.

"Who knows?" he asked taking a swig from his jack. His grey eyes again moved to Ulsa. "She's lookin' over here again," Martin informed.

I turned to look at her. Our eyes met; she smiled and beckoned me over to her. Slowly, I made my way over to her. "Can I help you?" I asked her in a sweet voice.

"Why don't you and a few other men go find something to do," she told me with a lazy wave of her hand. The look on her face looked relaxed and pleased – and strangely almost drunk. I nodded slowly and turned away from her.

Martin decided to go with me to do that 'something.' He was getting uncomfortable under Ulsa's carefree state. It was very much not like Ulsa. I was curious about what caused her to be so smug.

We didn't do much that night. Not many people were around Prettybone this evening but we received some good from it. Martin and I took our share before putting it in a well guarded room full of everyone's pickings.

The moment I sat down with some of the other coves, I felt eyes on the back of my head. I didn't need to turn around to know who was looking at me. Martin, who sat on the other side of the table glanced up briefly and back at me. He gave me a look, confirming my assumption. I sighed and ignored her.

One of the coves broke out a deck of card and we began to play, gambling little. During a fifth round of cards, I saw one of Dawull's men walk up to Ulsa. Her eyes sparked with joy. I watched them from the corner of my eye. What was he up to? No doubt the conspiracy against Kayfer was the reason for the man's appearance.

Martin glanced up every so often. When the man and Ulsa disappeared into one of the back rooms, Martin leaned over and nodded to where the Chief was. "What's with that?"

I shrugged. "I'm trying to figure that out myself. Tell me if you hear anything, will you?" Martin agreed. We finished our game of cards and decided it was time to go. Ulsa hadn't appeared from the back room so we just decided to take our leave. At the door we went our separate ways with a wave.

On my way home, I heard a flutter of wings above my head. I looked up to find a pigeon flying around the street. I found it weird. They should have been sleeping or something. Pigeons are not night birds. Everyone knows that, but what are they doing flying around? It almost sent shivers down my back. I ignored them to the best of my ability and focused on the conspiracy that was going on. I wondered what Ulsa did to make her so happy. Or what happened that made her happy?

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**This chapter is a bit short. I don't know when the next chapter will be up. I lost my Terrier book. So now I have to find that before I continue. Maybe my roommate has it. I may just have to go to B&N and handwrite everything first. Well, I will try to have the next part posted next week.**


	10. AN: Please don't kill me

Due to recent events (exams and more personal life) I wasn't be able to update as soon as I thought. I've been reading through what I have and decided to go through a long edit. I may just end up rewriting the whole fanfic. Maybe I just need to read the book again, because I can't remember anything that happened in the book. I think that's what I'll need to do. In the mean time, I'm going to edit my other fanfic, Not Quite Home. It'll be easier since it's not following a specific structure. I'm going to edit through NQH quickly and try to update it as soon as possible but with exams still going on, I don't know how well that will work. I'll have the thing edited by Christmas in the least and then I'll start editing this fanfic afterwards.

Please forgive me for this. I know a lot of you were expecting a new chapter. I'm going to read Terrior again and try to finish this by the middle of 2010. That is my goal. If you want any current updates on my fanfiction, please read my blog. It's my "homepage" link. I'm so sorry. I'll understand if you're angry with me.


	11. New Version: Please look

I wrote a new version of this story. Please tell me which version you like better. Just go to my profile. It's called Rosto the Piper. I'm changing a lot of this fanfic.

Tell me what you think.

Thank you.


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